City Beat | Hong Kong’s new extradition law: wrong timing for government, bad image for business, and reality check for Beijing
- The city’s business community, normally very receptive towards Beijing, has strongly opposed the law, which would allow fugitives to be sent across the border
- Wang Zhimin, director of the Beijing liaison office, met leaders of six Hong Kong business groups last week
With the backlash against the government’s controversial extradition bill continuing, particularly from the local and overseas business communities, there were raised eyebrows last week when Beijing’s top envoy in Hong Kong held a meeting with representatives of six major local business organisations.
Wang Zhimin, director of the central government’s liaison office, talked to key members of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Chinese Importers’ and Exporters’ Association.
According to the office’s website, Wang briefed them on the “spirit” of the recently ended “two sessions”, the annual gathering of China’s national legislature and top political advisory body.
That left many wondering whether the city’s business elite had used the occasion to air their grievances to Wang about the bill, which would allow the transfer of fugitives from Hong Kong to mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.
Whatever might have been discussed, those gathered represented all the city’s major business interests, and Wang’s invitation was a reflection of their status in Beijing’s eyes.
